Community Travel
There are two trips that the Global Health community takes to see public health firsthand, both domestically and internationally.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Thanksgiving Break
The Global Health community will go to the Dominican Republic for Thanksgiving break to visit with the non-governmental organization Esperanza, which provides low-interest microcredit finance loans to women in the Dominican Republic. During the trip students will:
- Meet and interact with Esperanza loan officers and employees to understand how microcredit finance works
- Meet and interact with associates receiving microcredit loans from Esperanza; visit their businesses and communities
- See Esperanza's "plus" programs: health clinics, water purification projects, baseball projects
- Learn about HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic by meeting with people living with the disease, doctors and counselors
- Visit a batey community (sugar cane field community) and observe a bank meeting
- Visit Alta Gracia Apparel Factory
- Visit Heart Care Dominicana
- Attend a baseball game in San Pedro
Grundy, Virginia
First Weekend in October
Dr. Mayes and Global Health students go to Grundy, Virginia, the first weekend in October to volunteer with Remote Area Medical (RAM), a medical mission organization that provides free dental, medical, and vision care for people in Appalachia who are either underinsured or uninsured. Students meet doctors, caregivers, and people who travel a great distance for this once-a-year medical mission trip.
In Grundy, students will:
- Work overnight and distribute food, blankets and triage numbers to people who arrive
- Assist medical providers and administrators
- Meet and interact with people receiving medical and dental services
Documentary about Remote Area Medical
Remote Area Medical | Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.